21/06/2026
Before you read another word, I need you to do something for me.
Close your eyes for just a second.
Think about who you were as a child.
Not the version that had it all figured out, or acts like it. I mean the version that didn't need to. The version that asked "why" about everything, got lost in imagination, and found joy in the smallest things.
That child is still in there.
For me, that child never stopped asking questions.
"Why does this work like that?"
"But why, though?"
"What if it didn't?"
Most people thought I was being difficult. I wasn't.
I was fascinated.
I wanted to understand how the world worked, how people thought, and why some ideas inspired action while others faded into noise.
That curiosity never left me.
It became the foundation of my work in leadership, communication, and personal development. It keeps me learning when it would be easier to settle for what already works.
When I watch children today, I often feel something between admiration and reflection.
They explore freely, create boldly, and ask questions without apology.
For years, we have called these qualities "childlike."
I don't think that's the right word.
I prefer to call them Human Qualities.
Curiosity. Wonder. Creativity. The ability to imagine a different future.
These are not traits reserved for children. They are traits we are all born with.
The challenge is that life has a way of training them out of us.
We stop asking questions because we don't want to appear uninformed. We suppress imagination because practicality is rewarded. Slowly, we trade wonder for certainty and curiosity for comfort.
Yet when you study the people we admire across leadership, business, sports, science, and innovation, you'll notice something:
They never completely lost these qualities.
They stayed curious. They kept asking questions. They imagined possibilities others could not yet see.
Perhaps growing up is not about abandoning these qualities.
Perhaps it is about learning how to direct them.
To pair imagination with discipline.
To combine curiosity with responsibility.
To transform wonder into meaningful action.
That idea sits at the heart of my book, Beyond The Idea.
Because the difference between a dream and a legacy is rarely talent. It is often the courage to stay curious, pursue an idea, and commit to bringing it to life.
Maybe growing up isn't about outgrowing wonder.
Maybe it's about redirecting it.
The Gunboat is waiting.
Will you reconnect?
Early Waitlist: https://tally.so/r/KYvAqA
Ire o!
~ Abimbola Abiodun
The Global Citizen
